Khabadi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kabaddi (Hindi: कबड्डी; IPA: [kəbəɖɖi]) is an outdoor team sport played in South Asia.

Two teams of perhaps five players each occupy opposite halves of a field roughly the size of a basketball court. The teams take turns sending a "raider" across to the opposite team's half, where the goal is to tag as many members of the opposite team as possible before returning to the home half. Tagged members are sent off. The raider must not take a breath during the raid, and must prove it by constantly repeating the word "kabaddi" while on the raid. Also, the defenders must form a chain, for example by linking hands; if the chain is broken, a member of the defending team is sent off. Presumably, the team that loses all its players first loses the game.

The sport is sometimes televised, including in countries outside the Indian subcontinent that are home to people of South Asian descent.

In the Bollywood movie "Pardes" Pardes (film) a Khabadi game is used to decide who will marry the beautiful Ganga.